Description
The steel that started the CPM revolution in production knives. Excellent balance of edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Industry standard for high-end folders.
Properties
Chemical Composition
✓ Pros
Industry-proven performance. Excellent edge retention. Good corrosion resistance. Widely available. Knife makers know how to work with it. Good toughness for high-hardness steel.
✗ Cons
Harder to sharpen than simple steels. Grinds slowly. More expensive. Being superseded by newer CPM steels. Can chip if used roughly.
Grinding Notes
Grinds slowly due to vanadium carbides. Ceramic belts work best. Frequent belt changes. Cool grinding essential. Pre-heat treat grinding strongly recommended.
Polishing Notes
Takes good polish despite high carbide content. PM structure helps significantly. Beautiful satin finish. Mirror polish requires patience.